The Diplomat
Spain and 92 other countries have published a statement of their “full support” for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and defend its work “free of intimidation” after criticism of the international judicial body.
“We affirm that the Tribunal, its officials and its staff must carry out their professional duties as international public servants free from intimidation,” the statement said.
They also remember that it is an “independent and impartial” court and undertake to “preserve its integrity in the face of any political interference and pressure.”
The signatories recall that the ICC is the “first and only permanent international criminal court in the world” and represents “an essential component of the international architecture of peace and security.” For this reason, they ask “all States” for their “full cooperation” in their investigations into genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip, which which has unleashed criticism from both Israel and a sector of the United States, which is even processing sanctions against members of the ICC in Congress.
Israel launched a military offensive against Gaza after the aforementioned attacks carried out by Hamas, which left nearly 1,200 dead and about 240 kidnapped. According to the Gazan authorities, controlled by the Islamist group, almost 37,300 Palestinians have died to date, most of them civilians, in addition to more than 520 deaths at the hands of Israeli forces and in attacks carried out by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. from that date.
